Alleged budget padding: I got over N1bn for constituency projects – Sen Nwoko

By Musa Baba Adamu

Senator Ned Nwoko, representing Delta North Senatorial District, has claimed that he got more than N1 billion constituency projects fund in the controversial 2024 budget.
The 2024 budget had been shrouded in controversy following allegations by Senator Abdul Ningi representing Bauchi Central that over N3.7 trillion could not be traced to any project.
The allegations landed him a three-month suspension after the House deliberated on it on Tuesday.
During the Tuesday plenary, Senator representing Cross River North, Jarigbe Agom, alleged that some ranking Senators got about N500 million for constituency projects from the budget while others, including himself got nothing.
While some lawmakers subsequently admitted that they got the N500 million, others say they had less than N200 million.
Speaking on the disparity in the sharing of the funds, Nwoko, who stated this during a podcast released on Saturday, said the amount gotten by each senator, depends on how they lobbied for it.
“Senators get what they lobby for, not because they have the right to it. Everybody just goes about doing what they can do for their constituencies and senatorial districts.
“A better approach would have been for senatorial uniformity. So if they say that everyone should get about N1 billion, be it. But this way, you rely on your weight and contacts to see what you can get for your people.
“We are not talking about money for the senators. This is for projects within our senatorial districts. If you have road, water, or training programmes, all should aggregate to a particular amount,” the lawmaker revealed in a podcast released on Saturday.
Asked if he got as much as N1 billion in allocation, the senator replied, “Of course, I did. That’s why I am who I am. But these are projects for my people.